Database Reference
In-Depth Information
code that writes SQL queries, you can switch to BigQuery just by switching
ODBC drivers.
Depending on your use case, you may decide to use one native or direct
mode. The advantage of the direct mode is that you always know what
BigQuery is going to execute, and you can run the exact same queries by
hand in the BigQuery web UI. Translated mode, however, will let you swap
out BigQuery as your query back end without making any changes to your
queries.
Unlike JDBC, ODBC drivers are platform-dependent. That means that an
ODBC driver that works on Windows won't work on a Mac or Linux
machine. The Simba driver currently comes in two flavors: Windows and
Linux. However, as of this writing, only the Windows version is available for
free. This platform dependence is something to consider when choosing the
connector.
One additional note in favor of the Simba driver, however is that Simba is
the
expert in ODBC, and its driver is fully fledged and full-featured. Simba
charges for many of its drivers, and because of this, it has a higher standard
of documentation and support. Now, let's move on before starting a war
between the forces of open and closed source.
Like the SQL standard, ODBC is a wide standard that includes a lot of
pieces. Simba has implemented most of these pieces except Data Definition
Language (DDL). Because BigQuery doesn't support
CREATE TABLE
or
ALTER TABLE
commands, the Simba ODBC driver doesn't handle them
either, even in translated mode. If your analysis setup requires creating
temporary tables or changing schemas, you might need to write code that
specifically handles these cases by making direct BigQuery calls (such as
the
Tables.insert()
or
Tables.update()
REST calls described in
Chapter 4, “Understanding the BigQuery Object Model”).
The Simba driver also has limited support for prepared statements and
parameter substitution. BigQuery does not support prepared statements,
and although translated mode could emulate them, this support isn't
currently available in the driver.
Installing and Configuring
If you go to the Simba website, it wants to charge you to download the
BigQuery ODBC driver. However, the Windows versions of the driver are
